Steve Barber: A commissioned sculpt

Keep in mind, these are only a few reference photos I used; I sent Steve a lot more, so he could do this figure justice.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you know I love Steve Barber's 42mm samurai range. One figure that I think was missing from the range (or at least that I couldn't figure out how to convert myself) was some sort of unarmored archer.

WELL, Steve Barber also does commissions, so I scrounged up some money and commissioned him to create this archer (which I believe will be added to the catalogue, so all of you can get one, too :)

It cost me a couple hundred British pounds, but your mileage may vary if you decide to try out his sculpting services. Like most good artists, Steve considers a bunch of factors when determining a price. He was also easy to work with, and asked all the right questions to fill in the information where I had left gaps.

One thing I suggest if you want to commission a sculpt, is to not only have a good idea of what you want done, but have LOTS of photo reference- especially reverse views. Many people will see a picture of a soldier, for example, and say, "I want that sculpted," but forget that the image is 2D, but a sculpt is 3D.

I couldn't find many reverse images of this archer, especially with the bow arm sleeve hanging down, so I actually took multiple photos of myself wearing a simple kimono.

Anyway, I look forward to painting this figure. It looks like it'll be a real joy to paint, with all the sweeping wrinkles, the distinctively Japanese high-drawn bow, and the reverse-legged kneeling pose (ie, raised knee is to the rear instead of out front.)

Old Timey Football

Something I'm also thinking about commissioning, but haven't made a decision on yet, are some old time American Football players (think "Leatherheads.") I think there would be a smaller market for these to those Blood Bowl players who like quirky teams, and maybe for some who might have their own home-brew rules (or maybe even to crazier Dreadball players.)

There would be four to six poses: A passer, a catcher, a blitzer and a lineman (and possibly a runner and a second blitzer/lineman.)

These would be much more expensive to commission, so I'll need to sell a bunch of my collection to fund it. And, in fact, I will be selling a few figures: My Bad Bay Hackers (about $350) and Wood Elf (about $200) teams for sure. And possibly my entire 28mm collection of prehistoric figures ($500). I need to work out how much I want to sell all of these for sure, but if you're interested, keep an eye out. (And, of course, I still have a small group of pirates for sale. $100)
All of my sales include shipping and are domestic (including Canada) only; it's pricey to ship heavy metal.

Or maybe I'll just win the lottery, and I won't have to sell anything to fund some fun football players.